This invention relates to equipment for electrostatographically producing or reproducing copies of an original image onto a suitable substrate. More particularly, the invention relates to such an equipment having a multiplex fusing apparatus that handles and fuses toner images, with excellent results, onto a variety of substrates including printing press master plates.
Electrostatographic process equipment, such as copiers and printers, are well known. In these types of equipment, image patterns of an original image are formed electrostatically on an image bearing member, developed thereon with fusible toner particles, and then transferred onto a selected substrate for fusing.
In such equipment, it is well known to use heated rolls, at least one of which contacts the toner image, for such fusing. In some cases, however, it is not desirable to make any type of contact with the toner images during fusing. In some of such cases, it is also well known to use separate non-contact heat fusing apparatus for fusing such toner images on substrates. Such non-contact apparatus conventionally include a flat belt device for transporting the toner image carrying substrate past a radiant heat source. Unfortunately however, when substrates are handled as such through such non-contact fusing apparatus, the substrates ordinarily tend to curl and corrugate thereby resulting in uneven fusing as well as undesirably looking copies. Unfortunately too, contact fusing apparatus on the other hand also tend to restrict dimensional changes (expansion or contraction) of substrates during the contacting and pressing that occurs within the fusing nip, thereby resulting in undesirable shape distortion, especially in the case of polymeric substrates.
Yet, quality contact and/or non-contact fusing remain desirable alternatives, and may even be imperative, depending on the substrate being used, and the output copy desired. Unfortunately however, a reproduction equipment that includes separate components for both contact and non-contact fusing will tend to be elaborate, and to be relatively more expensive.